1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data communication. More particularly, the present invention relates to data communication using Two-Dimensional (2D) bar codes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Two-Dimensional (2D) bar codes are fast gaining traction as enablers for online content and services. 2D bar codes encoded with information, such as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), may appear in a magazine, on a sign, on a bus, on a business card or on any other object about which a user might desire to obtain information. To obtain information about an object with a 2D bar code disposed thereon, a user may use a device equipped with a camera and 2D bar code reader software. The device uses the camera to scan the image of the 2D bar code. The device then uses the 2D bar code reader software to decode the scanned 2D bar code to obtain the information encoded therein. For example, if the information is a URL, the URL may be used by an Internet browser to load a website corresponding to the URL that was encoded in the 2D bar code. The act of linking from a physical world object is referred to as a hardlink or a physical world hyperlink. Users may also generate and print their own 2D bar codes for others to scan.
Several 2D bar code symbologies have been standardized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). For example, the ISO/IEC 18004 standard specifies a 2D bar code symbology referred to as Quick Response (QR) code. An exemplary QR code will be described below with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 illustrates a structure of a conventional QR code.
Referring to FIG. 1, the QR code symbol is constructed of nominally square modules set out in a regular square array and each includes an encoding region and function patterns. The encoding region includes format information 102, version information 104, and data and error correction codewords 106. The function patterns include a finder pattern 112, a separator 114, timing patterns 116, and alignment patterns 118. Payload data is not encoded in the function patterns. The QR code symbol is surrounded on all four sides by a quiet zone 120.
QR codes come in a variety of sizes. For example, there are forty sizes of QR code symbols, which are referred to as Version 1, Version 2 . . . Version 40. Version 1 measures 21 modules×21 modules, Version 2 measures 25 modules×25 modules and so on increasing in steps of 4 modules per side up to Version 40 which measures 177 modules×177 modules. The QR code illustrated in FIG. 1 is an example of a Version 7 of a QR code symbol. A Version 1 of a QR code symbol is described below with reference to FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 illustrates a structure of a conventional Version 1 QR code symbol.
Referring to FIG. 2, the QR code is a Version 1 of a QR code symbol that measures 21 modules×21 modules. The data is encoded in 2×4 blocks 200 with each block carrying 8-bits of data, namely bits 0-7.
While a conventional 2D bar code communication system may be used to communicate limited amounts of information, the conventional 2D bar code communication system is not suitable for the transfer of large amounts of information.
Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and method for transferring large amounts of information using 2D bar codes.